Ebook: Information Handling in Astronomy - Historical Vistas

This book is dedicated to the memory of Gisèle Mersch whose life ended prematurely in June 2002. Back in the 1970s, when few people were using them, Gisèle introduced me to the arcane secrets of then advanced m- tivariate statistical methodologies. I was already involved in more classical statistical studies undertaken at Paris Observatory with Jean Jung: developing and applying maxim- likelihood algorithms to stellar photometric and kinematic data in order to derive absolute luminosities, distances and velocities in the solar neighb- hood. But what could be envisaged with those methodologies was something of another dimension: for the first time, I could really see how to extract information from massive amounts of data without calling for elaborated physical or mechanical theories. Several pioneering applications were developed under Gisèle’s guidance and with her collaboration to study the delicate interface between spect- scopic and photometric data. Thus errors in spectral classifications were investigated as well as predictions of spectral classifications from pho- metric indices (see Heck 1976, Heck et al. 1977, Heck & Mersch 1980 and Mersch & Heck 1980), with very interesting results for the time. Gisèle also took part in studies of period determination algorithms (see Mersch & Heck 1981, Manfroid et al. 1983 and Heck et al. 1985).

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This book offers a unique review of how astronomical information handling (in the broad sense) evolved in the course of the 20th century, and especially during its second half.

This volume is a natural complement to the book Information Handling in Astronomy published in the same series. The scope of these two volumes includes not only dealing with professional astronomical data from the collecting instruments (ground-based and space-borne) to the users / researchers, but also publishing, education and public outreach.

In short, the information flow in astronomy is thus illustrated from sources (cosmic objects) to end (mankind's knowledge).

This book will be very useful for researchers, teachers, editors, publishers, librarians, computer scientists, sociologists of science, research planners and strategists, project managers, public-relations officers, plus those in charge of astronomy-related organizations, as well as by students aiming at a career in astronomy or related space science.

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This book offers a unique review of how astronomical information handling (in the broad sense) evolved in the course of the 20th century, and especially during its second half.

This volume is a natural complement to the book Information Handling in Astronomy published in the same series. The scope of these two volumes includes not only dealing with professional astronomical data from the collecting instruments (ground-based and space-borne) to the users / researchers, but also publishing, education and public outreach.

In short, the information flow in astronomy is thus illustrated from sources (cosmic objects) to end (mankind's knowledge).

This book will be very useful for researchers, teachers, editors, publishers, librarians, computer scientists, sociologists of science, research planners and strategists, project managers, public-relations officers, plus those in charge of astronomy-related organizations, as well as by students aiming at a career in astronomy or related space science.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Half a Century of Intense Maturation....Pages 1-13
Evolution of Time Measurement in Astronomy....Pages 15-34
Evolution of Data Processing in Optical Astronomy — A Personal Account....Pages 35-60
IHAP: Image Handling and Processing System....Pages 61-70
FITS: A Remarkable Achievement in Information Exchange....Pages 71-87
The Munich Image Data Analysis System....Pages 89-107
AIPS, the VLA, and the VLBA....Pages 109-125
Changes in Astronomical Publications During the 20th Century....Pages 127-137
The Evolution and Role of the Astronomical Library and Librarian....Pages 139-155
The Development of the Astronomy Digital Library....Pages 157-182
From Early Directories to Current Yellow-Page Services....Pages 183-205
Pre-College Astronomy Education in the United States in the Twentieth Century....Pages 207-231
The Birth and Evolution of the Planetarium....Pages 233-247
The Changing Role of the IAU in Providing and Organizing Information....Pages 249-266
Was the Carte du Ciel an Obstruction to the Development of Astrophysics in Europe?....Pages 267-273
Amateur Data and Astronomical Discoveries in the 20th Century....Pages 275-294
Back Matter....Pages 295-298

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This book offers a unique review of how astronomical information handling (in the broad sense) evolved in the course of the 20th century, and especially during its second half.

This volume is a natural complement to the book Information Handling in Astronomy published in the same series. The scope of these two volumes includes not only dealing with professional astronomical data from the collecting instruments (ground-based and space-borne) to the users / researchers, but also publishing, education and public outreach.

In short, the information flow in astronomy is thus illustrated from sources (cosmic objects) to end (mankind's knowledge).

This book will be very useful for researchers, teachers, editors, publishers, librarians, computer scientists, sociologists of science, research planners and strategists, project managers, public-relations officers, plus those in charge of astronomy-related organizations, as well as by students aiming at a career in astronomy or related space science.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Half a Century of Intense Maturation....Pages 1-13
Evolution of Time Measurement in Astronomy....Pages 15-34
Evolution of Data Processing in Optical Astronomy — A Personal Account....Pages 35-60
IHAP: Image Handling and Processing System....Pages 61-70
FITS: A Remarkable Achievement in Information Exchange....Pages 71-87
The Munich Image Data Analysis System....Pages 89-107
AIPS, the VLA, and the VLBA....Pages 109-125
Changes in Astronomical Publications During the 20th Century....Pages 127-137
The Evolution and Role of the Astronomical Library and Librarian....Pages 139-155
The Development of the Astronomy Digital Library....Pages 157-182
From Early Directories to Current Yellow-Page Services....Pages 183-205
Pre-College Astronomy Education in the United States in the Twentieth Century....Pages 207-231
The Birth and Evolution of the Planetarium....Pages 233-247
The Changing Role of the IAU in Providing and Organizing Information....Pages 249-266
Was the Carte du Ciel an Obstruction to the Development of Astrophysics in Europe?....Pages 267-273
Amateur Data and Astronomical Discoveries in the 20th Century....Pages 275-294
Back Matter....Pages 295-298
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